Illegal logging: let's get serious

Yesterday, at the request of the Liberal Party, a third parliamentary inquiry held public hearings on the Government's Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill.

In the time it takes you to read this article, an area of forest equivalent to 240 football fields will have been illegally harvested.

The World Bank tells us "large-scale, illegal logging operations are carried out by sophisticated criminal networks".

The World Bank also estimated the cost of illegal logging to global timber markets to be in the vicinity of $10 billion per annum and losses in Government revenues in timber producing countries to be around $5 billion per annum (2006).

Illegal logging is big business.

In 2008, the United States Congress prohibited the trade in illegally logged product. Similar measures in the European Union start in 2013. But due to the delaying tactics of the Liberal party, Australia risks becoming a dumping ground for illegally harvested timber and timber products, stealing jobs from legitimate timber businesses around the world.

At the 2010 election, the Government and the Opposition both pledged to legislate to prohibit the importation and processing of illegally harvested product.

In March last year, I referred an exposure draft Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill to a senate inquiry which would do just that. The Government responded to the recommendations of the inquiry and introduced an amended Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill in November.

The bill prohibits the importation and processing of illegally harvested timber and timber products, where timber is harvested in contravention of the laws in its country of origin.

A second inquiry, which reported in February 2012, reiterated the Liberal's commitment to this important issue, stating the Liberals were "broadly supportive of the Government's moves to legislate to prohibit importation of illegally logged timber and timber products".

The second inquiry recommended that the Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill should be passed. At that time, there was no dissenting report.

Then the Liberals split on the issue. Deputy Leader and spokesperson on foreign affairs Julie Bishop and backbencher Dan Tehan are now leading a rear guard action, opposing the bill.

Why is the Liberal Party abandoning this bipartisan policy? One has to conclude that the back-flip may be driven by internal dissent and ambition.

Julie Bishop, for her part, amended Liberal policy on the run by opinion editorial. She unilaterally watered down the policy "to make it an offence to import any timber product which has not been verified as being legally harvested" to "in principle" support for efforts to prohibit the trade in illegally logged timber (Online Opinion, April 5, 2012).

Despite Julie Bishop's acknowledgement that "in some developing countries up to 70 per cent of timber is illegally logged", the Member for Wannon, Mr Tehan later said, in the Herald Sun, that forests were illegally cleared for "subsistence farming, firewood and to create living space" due to "poverty". While blaming the poor is characteristic of today's hard right Liberal Party, Mr Tehan and Ms Bishop are ignoring the facts and, as usual, sending mixed messages about the issue.

But this bill will implement their agreed policy.

Those Liberals opposed to a bipartisan approach to the issue raise concerns about the Australia's level of consultation and whether the bill is consistent with Australia's trade obligations.

The Government has been careful to make the bill consistent with Australia's trade obligations. It is true that the bill will support the trade in legally harvested timber. In fact, the University of Sydney Centre for International Law's submission to a previous inquiry commented it would be difficult to imagine a country prosecuting Australia for restricting the trade of a good which is against the law in the country of export.

The Liberals opposing the bill also criticise the two-year delay in the implementation of the regulations. I remind the Liberals of their own policy which explicitly states that "a transition period of two years will be provided to adapt to these new measures". This will provide additional time for the Trade Minister, Minister Emerson, and I to continue to discuss the Government's policy with trading partners.

It is disappointing that the Liberals have walked away from a once bipartisan approach to this important issue. It is time Julie Bishop and Dan Tehan supported the implementation of their party's election commitment.

Joe Ludwig is the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and a Labor Senator for Queensland. View his full profile here.